If you’re wondering about whether you should start an online business, I’ll be the girl right in front of the crowd chanting “DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!”
Seriously, I LOVE being my own boss.
Setting my own targets, working according to my own schedule, and growing at my own pace – this kind of freedom is what makes my heart very happy.
And, working with clients, helping them overcome a struggle so they can level up in their businesses (and reach their goals) has got to be the extra sweet, bright red cherry on top of that sundae of awesomeness that is being your own boss.
While starting your business is a major victory in itself, the actual goal is to sign on clients.
When you are at the beginning stages, it can feel incredibly hard to land your first project. However, if you take a good look at what you’re doing in your business, you may just find that there are some things stopping your dream clients from hiring you.
In this post, I am going to highlight 5 things you may be doing in your business that are holding dream clients back from booking your services:
5 things stopping your dream client from working with you
1| You’re not clear on what your offer is
When talking about your offer online, it is absolutely crucial that you are as clear as possible. Ensuring that your copy indicates what your service is, what your client will get out of it, the costs involved, the booking process – the more information you share with your audience the easier it will be for people to understand what you’re talking about and can therefore determine whether they need your help or not.
Internet users are quite lazy, and it is highly unlikely that someone will reach out to you for clarity if they don’t get the just of what you’re offering right off the bat.
If you are struggling to sign on clients, a good place to start evaluating is your copy. Make sure that your bio, promotional copy, services page, etc, all clearly states what your offer is and gives your audience a call to action so they can take that next step in hiring you.
On this note, you also want to make sure that you are highlighting the amazing transformation you can give them with your service. Shifting focus on the results your offer will give them instead of what they’ll be getting from the service puts things into perspective for your potential client. Being able to visualize the transformation they’ll experience by working with you will help them understand the value of your offer, and why it’s something they should prioritize.
How to put this in action:
Take a look at the way you are talking about your offer. Are you focusing more on the tangible outcome your service provides? Or are you highlighting the big transformation this outcome will give your client?
2| Your booking process is confusing
Ain’t nobody got time to jump through hoops to find out how to book you!
If you are making it difficult for potential clients to learn about your packages and rates, you are turning them away and hurting your business. Your service guide should be easy to spot in your social media bio, and a clear call-to-action should always be given so people know what they need to do to hire you.
Forcing potential clients to reach out to you to find out your pricing and offers is a step not many people are willing to take. On the flip side, when you talk about your offers with confidence and freely point towards your service guide, you are extending a warm and friendly invitation for dream clients to work with you.
It’s important to remember that most of the time people are still on the fence, unsure if your offer is something they really need. When you add an extra bump in their road to hiring you (in this case, not giving them immediate access to your service guide) you are giving them reason to stay behind the fence. Unknowingly, you are telling them that your offer isn’t something they really need at this point in time, and therefore, they’ll not feel pulled to work with you even if you can help them overcome a major struggle.
How to put this in action:
Spend some time looking at your booking process and find ways to make it as simple, pain free and seamless as possible for both you and your new client. Your booking process is the first experience your client will have while working with you on their project, you want it to reflect the awesomeness up ahead and have them get the most out of the entire journey so they’ll never doubt for even a second that it was all worth it.
Once you have your booking process in place, create a service & pricing guide with all the information your prospect clients would need before deciding to hire you. My shop is filled with beautiful, functional service & pricing guide templates to help you create a document that screams “Professional coming through!”
3| You’re not clear on who you are helping
And it all keeps coming back to your dream client…
Really getting clear on who you want to target with your service, or rather who you want to help, plays a massive role in actually finding clients to get onboard with you.
If you don’t know who you’re trying to attract, you won’t know HOW to speak to a specific person, and when you start talking to everyone it will feel like you’re screaming into a void. But, when you begin talking to your dream client, you’ll soon find that person will begin responding to you.
Being absolutely clear in your marketing and promo material about who you are helping with your service means that the people you’re attracting will recognise themselves in what you are saying. They’ll be able to identify their pain points, resonate with your message and really come to see you as someone who gets them.
This is what you should be striving for!
How to put this in action:
Take a look at how you are communicating with your audience – are you being clear with your copy on who you’re helping in your business? Or are you being vague? In one sentence, you should be able to say exactly who you work with and your dream client should instantly know that you are talking to them.
4| You have too many services on offer
Ever hear the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”?
Well, if you’re offering too many services, this is how you’ll be seen by people who come by your business. Not exactly the impression of an expert to be trusted with important projects…
Many new online service-based business owners fall into the trap of offering many different services thinking that they’ll miss out on project opportunities if they niche down. However, the opposite is actually true – the fewer, more niched offers you have, the easier it will be for you to sign on dream clients.
If a potential client is overwhelmed by all your offers and packages, it’s unlikely that they’ll end up working with you because they wouldn’t know what your speciality is.
How to put this in action:
Try to niche down on the service you provide and stick to 2-3 signature packages that clearly states how you help your clients and what the outcome of the project will be. Not only will this help you attract your dream clients so you can work on projects you love, but it will also take a lot of stress off your shoulders as it would be easier to streamline with automations, systems and workflows for a much smoother project experience.
5| Your branding is confusing
Do NOT underestimate the power of a strong brand!
If you are struggling to book clients, another good place to look into is your branding. A confusing brand can really throw off prospect clients, no matter how good you are at what you do. While a strong, professional brand that effectively communicates who you are, what you do, and what people can expect from you, shows that you are an expert in your niche – someone who can be trusted to do business with.
When your branding is all over the place, with no structure or flow, it will give your clients the impression that’s how your entire business is being run. It won’t show off your expertise and definitely won’t shine the best light on your unique skill set.
However, with a strong brand in place you can confidently show up for your audience and trust that the value of your work is not being overlooked, but appreciated!
Another reason to combat a confusing brand is that it will make your business more memorable which will keep you top of mind among your audience and have potential clients coming back to YOU when they are in need of your services. A good first impression can be a lasting impression, so it’s important that you stand out, especially if you’re in a saturated field.
How to put this in action:
Take a good look at your branding and ask yourself if it is a true reflection of your business. Do you think your dream clients are drawn to it? Or are they being put off by it? Does your current branding help to showcase your work in the best way possible? Or is your work being ignored because your graphics are a bit of an eyesore? Establishing a beautiful brand does not mean you have to fork out thousands of dollars right away. There are many cost effective options out there for you to create a polished, professional look for your business!
If you are confident in your skills and know you have the ability to obtain positive transformation for your clients, but you’re still struggling to book projects, it might just be a sign that something else is in need of change.
Start by taking a look at the 5 things I mentioned above and see if there’s anything that needs to be improved.
Sometimes the lack of bookings have very little to do with our skills, and more to do with how we show up online or how we come across to those whom we want to work with.
If you want to show up as the pro that you are with a stunning, cohesive brand that turns heads, take a look at my range of templates to help make the creation process a whole lot easier and less time consuming!
